This is the first time I'm actually uploading something on here, so I'm a bit nervous. English is not my first language and I don't have much writing experience, so please keep this in mind while reading. Nevertheless I would be very grateful if you took the time to R&R and give me constructive criticism (even if it's just a typo or a misplaced comma).

I do now own any of the characters depicted (sadly).

Chapter 1: In which a deal is struck and old acquaintances are angered

Johannes Cabal woke up to his covers being pulled off him rather unceremoniously. Letting out a string of curses so horrible it would have made the old gods blush like Sunday Schoolers, he looked up to see his brother standing above him, grinning mischievously.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead! You know, I was thinking... You are positively rotting away in that stinking, old laboratory of yours. So I decided that today, we are going to have some fun! And while I always love spending time with my dear little brother, I doubt I could take your cheerfulness for a whole afternoon without some sort of... buffer. So I took the liberty of inviting Leonie, she should arrive shortly."

"First of all, I was merely taking a short nap. Second, I fail to see how this afternoon is in any way "good", seeing as how it started. Thirdly, what makes you think that I would spend the rest of it with the two of you having fun?"

At the last word, Cabal made a face that suggested that the mere notion of "having fun" was equally harrowing and absurd. The fact that he hadn't commented on Horst inviting Leonie Barrow of all people, told him that his brother might not be as awake as he let on.

"Well, Johannes, you don't really have much of a choice. You see, I recently - and with recently I mean about three minutes ago - acquired a certain item, an item I'm fairly certain you'd like to have back as soon as possible."

With this, Horst produced a small key from behind his back. Upon seeing it, Cabal's face distorted into an ugly grimace which would have made the most hardy of villains run in fear.

"Give it back!" He roared. "I swear to god, if you don't give it back this instance, I will drag you out into the sun myself!"

Horst however, was not much impressed by this threat. He knew that Johannes was, after all, glad to have him back. And even if his brother really wanted to kill him, he, being a vampire, could easily outpower him. Something he had had to do on several occasions, and had done merely for fun on at least as many. There was nothing more amusing than seeing his little brother, and his ego, bruised. There was still a lot of payback he had to give him for those eight years (eight years and thirty-seven days to be precise). Eight years that caused him nightmares to this day.

"Would be a pity if it were to... you know, fall down the drain, or something like that. Wouldn't it? Don't worry though. Right now I do not intend to let anything happen to it. I'm even willing to part with it again tonight, IF you join Leonie and I in our merry afternoon of games... and fun!"

Fifteen minutes later found the two Cabals sitting in front of the fireplace, waiting. Johannes was now fully dressed (in black, as always), tartan slippers on his feet, battering his tea more than stirring it. He was muttering under his breath, glowering alternately at his brother's face and his waistcoat pocket, wherein the little key rested now.

"Brother dear, must you scowl a me like that? And all that muttering. Are you trying to make my head explode again? It didn't work last time and it's not going to work this time either. I assure you that Leonie and I are merely friends and nothing more. While she is without any doubt a brilliant young woman, she is not my type at all, and I doubt I'm hers. So you're still in the game."

"Still in the game? What is that supposed to mean? And I do not care in the least about what is happening between you and Miss Barrow. What I care about, however, is that you invited her into my home and-"

"Our home."

"My home! She knows where I live now. Do you have any idea what this kind of woman could do with that information? She is probably on her way to some officials now, trying to get them to tear down the house and bury years of research under mountains of wood and stone! Do you have any idea how much trouble she has been so far? With her morals and qualms? And she's so infuriatingly confusing! First she wants me dead, then she saves my life and then she wants to kill me again! Why is this woman so capricious?! Why couldn't you invite Satan, at least I know where I'm at with him. Furthermore -"

He was interrupted by his brother, whose apparent amusement had grown throughout the course of his rant and who was now holding his sides from laughter.

"Johannes, you are truly priceless. How can you be so brilliant and at the same time so utterly simple-minded? But while I could listen to your cute rants all day, I think the woman of the hour has arrived."

Several seconds later the doorbell rang. It was such an unfamiliar sound that Cabal would have had problems ascertaining it, had it not been for his brother's prediction.

Then it dawned on him. How could she have rung the doorbell? After all, he had a world-class security system to prevent exactly that, unauthorized access to his front door. Or his back door, or any of his windows for that matter. The security system in question consisted of a large group of "criminally insane" fairies housed in his garden, who liked to gnaw on unwanted visitors. "Gnaw" was probably not the right word, more like "rip apart and gobble up completely". Most of the time they would leave nothing more than a few ribs or a femur as evidence of an untimely departed door-to-door salesman.

So how exactly did she get past them? They knew no mercy. The only reason Cabal himself was still alive was because they were afraid of his power and his brother was just too fast for them to catch.

But there was no reason why she should be spared.

He was still musing over that thought when he opened the door to a not very pleased Leonie Barrow.

"Cabal, you utter bastard! How could you just leave me behind like this! I saved your godforsaken life! - Would that I didn't! - And how do you thank me? By throwing me to the wolves! Literally!"

"Good afternoon, Miss Barrow. I take it your journey went well? As for the occasion in question; you didn't die, did you? So I don't see why you are still so upset."

"I should have just killed you when I had the chance."

Fearing his brother's retort to that comment, Horst stepped between the two. He shoot Johannes a glance to keep him quiet while ushering Leonie to the armchair in front of the fireplace and having her sit down.

"Leonie, please. I know that my brother is a complete ass most of the time, but while I'm not familiar with the events in question, I'm sure he wouldn't have put you into harm's way on purpose."

"He didn't put me into harm's way, he threw me!"

"I do admit that sounds kind of malicious. Why don't you tell me what happened while Johannes pours you a cup of tea."

His brother looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"If Miss Barrow wants tea, I'm sure she can get it herself."

Horst smirked and patted his waistcoat pocket meaningfully. Cabal harrumphed and retreated to the kitchen to make tea, albeit judging by the noise-level, he could as well have been forging a weapon to relieve his brother of his head.

He chuckled and returned his attention to Leonie, who seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"You want to know what your brother has done? Let me tell you."